TV preview: New Girl

Fox’s “New Girl” was the most successful new network comedy last fall, earning big ratings and a couple of Emmy nominations for star Zooey Deschanel and supporting actor Max Greenfield. I utterly hated “New Girl” early on, mainly because of Deschanel’s grating performance as manic pixie hipster girl Jess.

The best moves “New Girl” writers made was toning down Jess — if only slightly — and employing more of the three guys who surround her. The highlight of the show is Greenfield’s Schmidt, who is simultaneously the most hilarious and interesting character as an epic douche bag on the outside with something more going on underneath.

The Season 2 premiere has Schmidt throwing a rebranding party to celebrate the removal of his penis cast; there are plenty of great Schmidt scenes. Also fun is Nick’s (Jake Johnson) refusal to make girlie drinks because he now makes “something a coal miner would drink — straightforward, honest, something that says I work in a hole.”

The problem here is still Deschanel and Jess’ various misadventures. I usually like Deschanel, but here she’s just way too much.